R-III art classes thriving

When Samantha Shelley was hired at the Kirksville R-III School District in 2008, the art program was barren.

“There were no scissors, there was no paint. There was nothing here,” she said. “I had water color paper, water color paint and colored pencils. There were a few cabinets and some calligraphy pens.”

Now, just a few years later, Shelley is one of two full-time art teachers, working in classrooms that can no longer hold all the supplies the program utilizes. More than 350 high school students cram into the spaces and explore and learn what Shelley believes is something every student needs.

“It does what no other class can do,” she said. “It teaches you to think outside of the box. Art shows you how to look at things differently.”

For example, she says a student with an art background learns the creativity that can be put to use in any profession.

“What’s going to set you apart,” she asks.

Betsy Tornatore, her art teaching colleague, has been with the district for four years. Hired initially as a part-time employee, the program’s popularity led the district to bring her on full-time a year later.

“It’s been phenomenal,” she said. “One of the things Sam and I have worked really hard to do is create a cohesive curriculum that covers a whole variety of things so you get a chance to learn a media and experiment with it.”

Curricular courses include Art I, II, III and IV, Digital Photography and a crafts class that draws upon different world cultures. Next year the program will grow with print making and drawing classes.

There is also an after-school group known as the Makers Club that meets Wednesday, allowing for further experimentation and expression.

“They said to build a program,” Tornatore said. “We did, and now it’s overflowing.”

Shelley, who is National Board Certified in art education (Tornatore is working toward that prestigious designation), agrees.

“Build it and they will come,” she said.

One of those who has is senior Slade Capps. He said as a freshman he liked to draw and took an art class, but didn’t have any serious plans or goals. That’s since changed.

“I’ve taken a lot of art classes and they’re fun and I want to be an art teacher, or something in art,” Capps said.

Capps has also been branching out. While he used to only enjoy drawing, he’s recently taken to watercolors. No matter what the medium, he’s always doing something in art.

“It’s pretty much all I do,” he said.

Art has helped Capps in other subjects, as the senior said it has helped improve his focus. He believes others could learn a lot from the art courses.

“I think it’s really important for people to take art,” he said. “I hate when people see me draw and they come up to me and say, ‘I can’t draw.’ They say it’s a talent or something. It makes me mad, because I practice so much. It takes a lot of effort to get to that point.”

Tornatore shared that sentiment.

“Everybody is born creative. Everybody has different abilities. I can’t arrange pillows on my mom’s couch, but I can draw. I like three-dimensional. I struggle with color, but I like black and white. Everybody has a talent and a gift, but nobody is born knowing how to paint or draw. Just like math, just like reading, just like science, you have to learn those skills,” she said.

Shelley said a key piece of art education is learning process and thinking, and part of that process is making decisions.

“Kids, when they come to high school, they know how to do math, they know how to read, but they don’t know how to make a decision. So, we teach them how to make decisions. It’s so important,” she said.

The arts classes allow students to express themselves in many ways, but due to a lack of space those ways don’t include sculpture and ceramics. It’s something the teachers hope the supportive district can find a way to address.

“The only thing we’re missing is our space,” Shelley said.

If the addition could be made it gives yet another form for students to create lasting memories.

“Most people, when they look back on their art they have fond memories of it because it was a chance for them to put their hands in stuff and explore things in a different way,” Tornatore said. “It’s a very active learning and you’re using different parts of your brain.”

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